Contracting Colonialism: Translation and Christian Conversion in Tagalog Society Under Early Spanish Rule Vicente L. Rafael ISBN 0-8223-1341-3 Paperback 256 pages ( 1993)

In an innovative mix of history, anthropology, and
post-colonial theory, Vicente L. Rafael examines the role of
language in the religious conversion of the Tagalogs to
Catholicism and their subsequent colonization during the
early period (1580-1705) of Spanish rule in the Philippines.
By tracing this history of communication between Spaniards
and Tagalogs, Rafael maps the conditions that made
possible both the emergence of a colonial regime and
resistance to it. Originally published in 1988, this new
paperback edition contains an updated preface that places
the book in theoretical relation to other recent works in
cultural studies and comparative colonialism. "This is a
significant, original, and engaging book that should find an
audience among those concerned with colonialism,
discourse, and ideology."—Renato Rosaldo, Stanford University

Vicente L. Rafael is Professor of Communications
at the University of California, San Diego.